SFSU Public Affairs Press Release Published by the Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University, Diag Center.

#067--January 27, 2000; FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Merrik Bu sh-Pirkle/Sarah Fidelibus
phone: 415/338-1665
e-mail: pubcom@sfsu.edu

SAN FRANCISCO, January 27, 2000---As part of the movement to end sexual violence against women, SFSU's The S.A.F.E. Place is participating in "V-Day" (a day designed to combat violence against women) by producing Eve Ensler's Obie award-winning play, the Vagina Monologues.

Ensler interviewed more than 200 women on how they felt about their vaginas. Their witty, poignant, and sometimes disturbing responses eventually came together to form the Vagina Monologues.

"We were the first campus in the country to sign on with V-Day," said Nina Jo Smith, the coordinator of the university's sexual violence resource center. "I attended a workshop with Ensler in New York where we discussed the goals of V-Day, so we're really excited about being a part of this." The performances will benefit The S.A.F.E. Place's program of violence prevention education through creative expression. SFSU staff, faculty, and students will be among the performers.

V-Day began two years ago when Ensler and friend/producer Willa Shalit staged a Valentines Day performance of the Monologues, donating the proceeds to organizations working to end violence against women. Since then, V-Day has become an internationally recognized event.

Note: The performances are scheduled for Feb. 12 and 13 at the Eureka Theater, 8:00 P.M., and Feb. 14 at SFSU's McKenna Theater, 8:00 P.M. All proceeds will benefit the S.A.F.E. peer-education program at San Francisco State University, and The Medea Project: Theater for Incarcerated Women. For more information contact Nina Jo Smith at (415) 338-2819.

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Last modified April 24, 2007 by Office of Public Affairs